Cook’s Night Off launches ‘Buy One, Give One’ initiative

Cook’s Night Off launches ‘Buy One, Give One’ initiative

Cook’s Night Off, a recently launched business in Auckland has felt the ‘pull’ of the poverty issue facing far too many New Zealanders.

While giving back to the community has been a strategic objective of the company since its inception, their plans to provide to others who are less fortunate have now been brought forward.

Cook’s Night Off supply fresh, home-delivered dinners through a subscription service and from this month on, they are moving to a ‘Buy One, Give One’ business model, where every meal sold will also fund a meal for a family or individual in need.

“Food and shelter are the two most basic of human needs. Being in the food industry, this is the best way we can contribute to the community”, says Suzanne Cannell, the company founder. “More and more people want to make ethical consumer choices, as they recognise that simple and routine activities can have a positive impact on the world.”

Internationally, the Buy One, Give One business model has successfully spread across a diverse spectrum of
industries, providing essential items to those in need, ranging from potable water to footwear, prescription glasses and food.

The Give One meals will be distributed through the Auckland City Mission’s Emergency Food Programme and also Foodlink, a network of over 30 community food banks that stretch from Kaitaia to Thames.

During their conversations with the City Mission the company has been amazed at how resilient people are. Even in the face of extreme poverty, Auckland City Mission statistics show that the vast majority only use food banks as a last resort, in times of crisis.

“The sort of crisis that drives a family or individual to come to a food bank can be as simple as an unexpected doctor’s bill or a bout of freezing winter weather leaving families with an unaffordable electricity bill. When you are living in poverty, it is impossible to make your money stretch any further than it already does,” says Auckland City Missioner, Chris Farrelly.

Using community food banks as a distribution point allows the meal funding to go to those who are in most urgent need of it.

“I’ve always been inspired by a quote from Theodore Roosevelt – “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are”, says Suzanne Cannell. “Individually we can’t solve the complex issues that cause poverty in New Zealand, but we can feed hungry people.”

ends

© Scoop Media